Raul Castro and Juan Almeida. Photo: Twitter

Havana, Feb 27 (RHC) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recalled the promotion to the rank of guerrilla commander of revolutionary leaders Raúl Castro and Juan Almeida Bosque, 65 years ago today.

In his Twitter account, the Cuban leader highlighted the appointment to those high positions by the Commander-in-Chief of the Rebel Army, Fidel Castro, in 1958.

After the designation, captains Raúl Castro (26) and Juan Almeida Bosque (31) took over the command of guerrilla columns 6 and 3, respectively.

Both had participated in the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks in Santiago de Cuba and Bayamo (east), suffered imprisonment and exile in Mexico from where they returned as expeditionary members of the Granma yacht (1956), to form the nucleus of the Rebel Army against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1952-1959).

Their courage in combat, their predominance among the troops, and their skills as military and political leaders earned them the respect and popular support with which they carried out their responsibilities in the territories under their command, and in high positions after the revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959. (Source: PL)